Fun & Interesting Facts About Kangaroos

Kangaroos come from the hidden land in the down under. It is one of the only mammals in the world that can fascinate and mystify those in its presence. It has a way of touching our hearts or boxing its way into our stomachs. Let’s take a look at some of the fun and interesting facts about kangaroos.

•The word “kangaroo” has a unique origin. It is actually a word that comes from the original aborigines of Australia. They called it (guugu Yimidhirr). The aboriginal word “guugu” describes the color of the kangaroo.

•A popular misconception among people that study kangaroos is that the name kangaroo comes from the aboriginal word for “I do not know”. It is actually a myth and never happened. However it can make great dinner conversation.

•Male kangaroos are often called by several different names that have developed by the locals. Some call them Jacks, Boomers, or bucks.

•Females also have pet names that have come from the locals. They have been called does, jills, and flyers.

•Young kangaroos are often called “joeys”

•If you find yourself in a larger group of kangaroos watch out they are called a “mob”

•Kangaroos are the only known species of animal to move by hopping. Where bunnies move while running they do not actually hop while moving. Kangaroos do.

•many individuals have gotten the impression that the nick name for kangaroos is “roos” this was actually a name made up by Disney for a Winnie the poo character.

•One interesting fact about kangaroos is that they are unable to move backwards. Due to the size of their high feet they must turn left or right to move in the direction they desire.

•Kangaroos are considered macro pods.

•All of the designate macro pods such as kangaroo have something in common that is the very strong hind legs and larger feet in the back. The tree kangaroo is the only exception it also has strong front legs to grab onto branches.

•The tail of a kangaroo is used for balancing while hopping.

•Kangaroos have more than the two legs and two arms. It also has a fifth limb it uses when it is scavenging for nuts or berries.

•Kangaroos are vegetarians and do not eat meat.

•Hopping is a very efficient mode of transportation in a country where it has more desert that offers little food or water.

•Kangaroos cannot move their hind legs independent of each other they must move their legs together for them to work correctly.

•Kangaroos are made for the environment of drier regions. They can go a lifetime without water as long as there is fresh green material to eat.

•Kangaroos are nocturnal and are very active during the early and late twilight hours of the night. They are not active in the day because the temperatures can reach in the high 100s which the animals prefer to rest in the shade.

• Kangaroos have a very complex digestive system. The digestive system is broken up into individual compartments. In each compartment it has microorganisms that help it digest the food that it is eating quickly and efficiently.

• Kangaroos box when they are playing with each other. They have been known to box assertively when in a competition for alpha leader. They have been known to be able to disembowel another kangaroo with their powerful hind legs.